Combustion products generator with combustion type precompressor



Sept. 26, 1950 P.-KOLLSMAN 2,523,379

COMBUSTION PRODUCTS GENERATOR WITH COMBUSTION TYPE PRECOMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 28, 1945 INVENTOR. PAUL KOLLSMAN BY all-u!- My P. KOLLSMAN COMBUSTION PRODUCTS GENERATOR WITH Sept. 26, 1950 COMBUSTION TYPE PRECOMPRESS OR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28, 1945 N N. w aw 0 Q\ m Q E .mw aw 3 NM mm mm I N V EN TOR. P401 KOLLSMJIV aw e, 50

OFFICE:

counu's'non rnopoors GENERATOR wrrn conmos'rron ms raucoumassoa rm Kollsman, New York, N. r. Application November 28, 1945, Serial No. 631,305

This invention relates to devices for propelling fluid through a duct by force derived from the explosive combustion of a fuel and has particular application-to duct engines comprising basically a combustion chamber and an adjoining discharge duct through which slugs of pressure fluid are moved by explosions taking place in the combustion chamber.

Duct engines have various applications. They may be employed, for'example, to furnish motive power for air, water and land vehicles, in which instance slugs-of pressure fluid are expelled at high velocities from the engine to exert motive power by reactive thrust. The energy of the fluid slugs of a duct engine may also be utilized for the purpose of driving a rotor of the turbine type. Duct engines may also be employed as pumping devices for moving other fluids, for" example, water, injected in, or interjected between, fluid slugs emitted by the engine.

' fuel exploded in the combustion chamber.

The objects, features and advantages of this invention will appear more fully from the detailed description which follows accompanied by drawings showing for the purpose of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the characteristic features of the invention which are believed to be novel will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the. accompanying partially diagrammatic drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section of a multiple duct engine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a modified form of the engine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of another modified form of the engine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of a multiple duct engine embodying the invention having an annular discharge port;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a multiple duct engine embodying the invention having an annular combustion chamber surrounding a central discharge duct;

Fig. 6 is stillanother form of a multiple duct engine comprising two opposed combustion chambers;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the engine shown in.

5 Claims. lib-35.6)

mg. 6, the view 2 being taken in the direction 1-1; and

Fig. 8 is. an end view of the engine shown in Fig. 5.

In the following description and in the claims,

various details will be identified by specific names for convenience. The names, however, are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. In the specification the term pressure fluid" or-fluid" is used as a generic term comprising both gases and liquids or,jin

other words, media of compressible as well as non:- compressible character.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures'of the drawings. In the drawings accompanying, and forming part of, this specification, certain specific disclosure of the invention is made for the purpose of explanation of broader aspects of the invention, but it is understood that the details may be modified in various respects without departure from the principles of the invention and that the invention may be applied to other structures than the ones specifically shown.

1 The duct engine shown in Fig. 1 comprises two opposed combustion chambers II and I2. Each combustion chamber has a fuel injector nozzle l3 and I4 supplied with fuel through supply pipes l5 and I6 from a suitable source, not shown. Each combustion chamber is further equipped with automatic inlet valves l1 and I8 for admitting a combustion supporting compressible fluid into the combustion chamber at suitable intervals where it mixes with the fuel injected by the nozzles l3 and H to form an explosive mixture. The combustion supporting fluid or gas may be 'supplied to the inlet valves from a suitable source, not shown, and may be precompressed gas or air admitted through the valves from a source of supply. These details are omitted from the drawings for the sake of simplicity. Suffice it to say that the inlet valves l1 automatically'operate to admit combustion supporting fluid previous to an explosion in the combustion chamber and that the valves automatically close while the pressure inside the combustion chamber exceeds the pressure outside.

The explosive charges in the combustion chambers are ignited by spark plugs l9 and 20 supplied with electrical energy from a suitable source through a supply lead 2|, a distributor 22 and leads 23 and 24. The distributor comprises a rotatable member 25 including a conductive distributor segment 26 suppliedwith electrical energy from a brush 21 bearing against the distributor shaft 28. 'The distributor shaft is combustion chamber l2. A discharge port 33 leads from the interior of the ducts to the outside and permits discharge of pressure fluid from the engine. The discharged fluid may either be directed into the surrounding medium, which may be water or air, in order to set up reactive thrust by discharge, or it may be conducted through suitable conduits to further apparatus utilising the sure in the opposite combustion chamber ll im- I mediately preceding the ignition of thecharge whereafter the precompressed charge is exploded in chamber ll sending a still more powerful slug in the opposite direction precompressing the explosive charge in chamber I! about to be ignited.

A certain amount of the rapidly traveling high pressure fluid is discharged through the discharge port 33 and utilized for whatever purpose it is intended. For example, the fluid may be discharged to furnish a reactive thrust on the wall opposite the discharge port, it may be used for driving a rotor for moving or, pumping other pressure fluid media or be stored in an appropriate storage chamber.

The rate of precompression by the slugs of pressure fluid traveling back and forth through the ducts Y3! and 32 is limited to a certain peak value by the magnitude of the individual explosive charges, the frequency of the explosive cycle, and the size of thedlscharge port determining the amount of pressure fluid withdrawn from the interior of the engine.

A modified form of engine is illustrated in Fig. 2. The design,'function and operation of the two opposed combustion heads corresponds a chamber. of gradually increasing and then decreasing diameter is formed between the ducts 3| and 32 or as a portion or extensionof the ducts 3| and 32.

The purpose and function of the doubly taperedchamber is to reduce the velocityof the slu s moving towards the discharge port 33 while simultaneously increasing the pressure by a corresponding reduction ofthe kinetic energy of the slugs. Assuming, for exampleythat a slu of pressure fluid be caused to travel as a result of an explosion in combustion chamber l2 towards the combustion chamber II-, the velocity of a slug decreases as it enters the tapered chamber 34 building up a pressure peak near the discharge port 33 through which fluid of high presthe velocity of the slug again increases due to reconversion of pressure into kinetic energy. The

slug flnally reaches the opposite combustion chamber where its kinetic energy is once more transformed into pressure for precompressing the explosive charge therein.

The engine illustrated in Fig. 3 vcorresponds in all major respects to the structure of the engine illustrated .in Fig. 1 with the exception that two discharge ports 35 and 36 are provided in place of the one port 33, each of the two ports 35 and 3' being near one combustion head of the engine.

The forms of the discharge ports and also the form of arrangement of the combustion chambers or heads may be changed to suit various specific requirements. In the engine of Fig. 4, for example. one combustion chamber ll opens into a duct 3| and the other combustion chamber l2 opens into a duct 32. Both ducts may be coaxially arranged. The duct 32 flares out into a portion an: enlarged diameter annularly surrounding the, end of the duct it. The enlarged portion 31 is connected with the walls of the duct II by a plurality of fins or braces 38 extending across the annular discharge port 39 of the engine.

In the operation of the machine of Fig. 4 the slugs of pressure fluid moved by combustion in the combustion head ll travel towards the opposite combustion head l2 and serve mainly to pre compress the explosive charges therein. Explosions of the charges in the main combustion chamber l2 send slugs in the opposite direction, a port on ofthe fluid slugs being discharged through the annular discharge port 39 while another portion serves to precompress the explosive charge in the combustion head I I.

In the forms of engines illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 each combustion head with its associated tube may be considered a precompressor for the opposed'pressure head. In the engine of Fig. 4 the combustion chamber H with its duct 3| may be considered a precompressor for the main combustion chamber l2 the latter furnishing most of the volume of the slugs ejected through "the discharge port 33. The charges in the combustion chamber ll may therefore be smaller than those in the chamber l2 and the combustion head of the precompressor portion of the engine may be of smaller dimensions than that of the main portion of the machine, although this is not nec Pig s illustrates an engine similar to the form or engine shown in Fig. 4. A combustion chamber II with its associated duct 32 has oppositely arranged thereto a combustion chamber III of substantially annular cross section formed between an outer wall 30' and an inner wall 32. The inner wall defines a discharge port 43. The combustion chamber 40 is provided with a fuel injector nozzle II, a spark plug is and inlet'valves II as in the previously described forms of the engine. The walls 42 of the inner tube are braced against the walls of the outer tube H by flns ll.

In the operation of the engine 0! Fig. 5 slugs moved by explosions in combustion chamber 40 travel through the annular duct 45 between the walls I and 42 towards the opposite combustion chamber l2 and precompress the combustible charges therein. Slugs moved by explosions in the combustion chamber l2 partly are discharged through the discharge port 43 while another portion of the slugs enters the annular duct 45 and reaches the combustion chamber 40 to precompress explosive charges therein.

sure is discharged. Beyond the discharge point In the embodiment of the engine shown in Fig.

6 the duct 3| associated with the one combustion chamber ll branches into two ducts 46 and 41. Duct 46 leads to a discharge port 48 while duct 41 leads to the opposite combustion chamber 49 equipped with the usual inlet valves It, a spark plug 20 and a fuel injector nozzle l4. Slugs moved by explosions in the combustion chamber 49 chiefly serve to precompress explosive charges in the opposed combustion chamber ll while slugs moved by explosions in the opposed combustion chamber ll partially are discharged through the discharge port 48 and partially enter the duct 41 in order to precompress explosive charges in the combustion chamber 49.

The invention thus provides an effective means of increasing the power output of duct engines by precompression of explosive charges leading to increased explosive force which may be utilized for various purposes. The invention also provides a multiple duct engine having opposed combustion chambers.

Obviously the invention is not restricted to the particular specific embodiments herein shown and described but is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations. It is, for example, not necessary that the two combustion heads or their associated ductsare diametrically opposed in an 180 arrangement. They may of course be arranged so that their axes form other angles. It is also not necessary to time the explosions in the several combustion chambers by a timing of electric sparks which set ofi the explosions. For example in duct engines operating on the Diesel principle explosions are timed by a timed supply of fuel into the combustion chambers or in other known ways. The fuel for the duct engine may be liquid as well as a gas. The various modifications and additions applicable to duct engines in general may be used in conjunction with the principles of this invention. Thus numerous changes, additions, omissions, modifications and substitutions may be made by persons skilled in the art without departing from the essence and principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A multiple duct engine comprising, two ducts whose axes are substantially parallel the tar ends of said ducts being closed to form opposed combustion chambers, the ducts having a central portion intermediate said combustion chambers, said central portion including two separate passages divided by a separating wall formed of a portion or one of said ducts, the said ducts being open towards each other to permit slugs of fluid propelled by combustion in one chamber through one duct to enter the other duct and travel therein towards said other combustion chamber; means for introducing a combustible compressible iuel charge into said combustion chambers and for igniting said introduced Iuel charge; and a discharge port in at least one of said ducts leading to the outside past said separating wall portion, said discharge port having an axis substantially parallel with the duct axes.

2. A multiple duct-engine comprising, two opposed combustion chambers; means for supplying fuel charges to said chambers; means for timing the combustion in one chamber with respect to combustion in the other chamber; a first duct leading from one or said chambers towards the other; I a second duct leading from the other chamber towards the one chamber, said ducts permitting slugs of fluid propelled by combustion in said chambers to travel towards the opposed 6 chamber to precompress a charge of fluid therein, one of said ducts having a portion of enlarged diameter annularly surrounding the end of the other duct, the annular space between said ducts forming a discharge port through which fluid from said ducts may escape to the outside.

3. A multiple duct engine comprising, two substantially concentric ducts, the outer of said two ducts being closed against the wall of the inner duct to form an annular first combustion chamber, the inner duct being open at both ends and forming a discharge passage, the outer duct having a substantially coaxial extension closed at the end to form a second combustion chamber opposed to said first chamber; means'for introducing combustible compressible fuel charges into said combustion chambers and for igniting said introduced fuel charges, a portion at least of the combustion products of each chamber traveling towards the opposed chamber thereby increasing the pressure therein. i

4. An engine having a main combustion chamber, means for supplying fuel charges to said chamber, and a main discharge duct extending from said chamber into the surrounding outside space through which slugs of fluid are propelled by combustion in said chamber, said main discharge duct having an axis extending in the same direction as the axis of said main chamber; and a compressor for said main combustion chamber, the compressor comprising an auxiliary combustion chamber and a compressor duct, said compressor duct extending towards said main combustion chamber, a portion of the duct wall forming a separating wall between said compressor duct and said discharge duct; means for supplying fuel charges to said auxiliary combustion chamber; and means for timing the combustion in one chamber with regard to the combustion in the other chamber, said compressor duct discharging combustion products towards said main combustion chamber for precompressing charges of fluid contained in said main chamber previous to combustion of the charges in said main chamber.

5. A multiple duct engine comprising two coaxially arranged tubes, each tube forming a duct. one of said tubes having a portion of enlarged diameter surrounding the other tube to form an annular duct therebetween, two of said ducts being closed at opposite ends to form combustion chambers from which combustion products travel in opposite direction, the remaining duct being open to provide a discharge passage into the surrounding outside space, means for introducin combustible pressure fluid into said combustion chambers and for igniting said introduced fluid, a portion, at least, of the combustion products of each chamber traveling towards the opposed chamber, thereby increasing the pressuretherein, the remaining combustion products being discharged through said discharge passage.

PAUL KOIISMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following referencesare of record in the file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,724 Great Britain Dec. 16, 1907 2,209 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1908 28,567 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1912 178,838 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1922 431,386 France Sept. 7, 1911 

